The invention relates to a protective strip for an outwardly swivelable flange of a door, hood, or the like of a motor vehicle, said strip consisting of an elastic material and being held in place on the flange.
A protective strip of this type is shown in German utility model No. 72 36 582, which strip fits around the flange in the manner of a clamp, i.e., with two legs. This design has the disadvantage that the shoulder which runs along the outer wall projects above or outwardly of the latter, and therefore can be subjected to such stress by the rotating brushes of an automatic car wash that the protective strips are torn off the vehicle. In addition, the protective strip is not integrated in the outwardly swivelable part of the vehicle body by this design, and this has a disadvantageous effect upon its aesthetic appearance, especially when there are differences in color between the vehicle and the protective strip.
A goal of the invention is to arrange and design a protective strip such that the abovementioned disadvantages are avoided.
According to the invention, this goal is achieved by providing that the flange forms a stepped shoulder with respect to a wall of the door frame or the like, said projection being filled by a segment of the protective strip. It is advantageous in this regard according to preferred embodiments of the invention to construct the protective strip L-shaped in cross section. In embodiments where protective strip fits around the flange in the manner of a pair of pincers, it is advantageous for the section of the protective strip located inside the flange to be provided with a sealing lip, said lip cooperating with a doorpost. The protective strip produces a cavity in the free area which is located away from the edge of the flange. In addition, the strip is preferably painted the color of the vehicle.
The principal goals achieved by the invention lie in the fact that the protective strip does not project beyond the outwardly swivelable body parts such as the door, hood, or the like, so that undesirable detachment of the protective strip, for example, in a car wash, is avoided. Moreover, the protective strip is so integrated into the body that a positive aesthetic effect is ensured.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for the purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.